Coal Combustion Waste is Toxic-Call Your Congressional Leaders

Hey World Family,
Falcon, here. I just got this from Sister Lisa and she has a message too important to wait. Check it out:

Urgent response needed – please help us prevent special interests from stalling our efforts for enforceable regulation of coal combustion wastes (CCW):

Congressional leaders, including PA Congressman Tim Holden, are circulating “Dear Colleague” letters seeking to maintain the status quo for disposal of toxic coal combustion wastes (CCW). Industry lobbyists are working hard to convince lawmakers that federal CCW “guidelines,” rather than national disposal standards, are all that is needed to protect human health and the environment: they say current state regulations of coal combustion wastes are “adequate.”

Following the TVA Kingston fly ash disaster, (Google this if you forgot what this one looked like last winter) we know otherwise— CCW is toxic, and states are turning a blind eye to regulatory controls in an effort to preserve the so-called beneficial use status of these wastes.

Don’t be fooled—the status quo of patchwork state regulations may save the utility companies money, but it does little to safeguard humans or the environment, particularly our water sources, from the hazards posed by arsenic, mercury, chromium, selenium, and other CCW constituents.

The US EPA’s 2007 Risk Assessment found that communities closest to CCW impoundments can have a 1 in 50 risk of cancer: that’s 2,000 times higher than threshold beyond which the EPA deems any cancer risk to be unacceptable—1 in 100,000.

And, the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded that current state practices of calling the wastes “beneficial” did not prove their safety. The NAS recommended a federal regulatory standard and much more scientific studies.
Please join us by calling your Congressperson and asking him/her not to sign on to letters sponsored by industry that seek weak CCW ”guidelines” that skimp on environmental protections. Please ask them to, instead, support the following principles:

•Consistent and enforceable federal regulations, not guidelines, are needed to prevent coal ash disasters like the TVA spill and more insidious, but no less dangerous and on-going releases.

• Enforceable federal regulations can simultaneously promote coal ash recycling and protect the public and environment from toxic leaching from coal ash. Federal law already allows the EPA to distinguish between waste disposal and beneficial re-use of wastes. Following this precedent, the EPA can regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste when disposed in a landfill, but as a non-hazardous product when it is safely recycled. EPA has made these distinctions many times before without damaging the market for recycled products.

• The cost of implementing safe standards is marginal. In 2000, the EPA estimated that the cost of compliance with tailored hazardous waste regulations would be about $1 billion, annually – just 0.4 percent of utility industry sales. In a 2005 report, EPA reduced this cost estimate to $521 million for comparable standards. Even industry estimates of $5-6 billon is reasonable in light of the high risk posed by the waste.

Find your Congressional Members and their phone numbers by clicking on the following link – listing is by state:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cdirectory/browse-cd-aug08.html

Thanks for making these important calls – and for sharing this action alert with your friends, family and colleagues!


Lisa Graves Marcucci
Environmental Integrity Project
PA Coordinator, Community Outreach

What are you Doing on YOUR Summer Vacation?

Hey World Family,
Falcon and Dove hope you have an awesome summer! We have listed some fun things that we are going to do, and we hope that you have a chance to do some of this stuff, too. The events are scattered and some of them a bit unusual, but I hope you can make some of the special activities, or do similar gigs where you live.

Weddings-coming up all over the place; we are sure you may have at least 1 pop up; get those gift cards for Target and Macy’s; no fail gifts there.

Pow Wows-okay, this is a Native American event, but this is about celebration and sharing. Have you ever had a buffalo burger and some fry bread outdoors while doing some Grass Dancing? You haven’t? Well, this is the summer perhaps to try to of the three anyway. Check out the Pow Wow calendar:

www.powwows.com

nativeimpressions.net/powwowcalendar2009

U.S. and Canadian Pow Wows:

www.gatheringofnations.com/powwows/index.htm

www.powwow-power.com/powwows/index.php

Attend the Symphony-there are symphonic concerts in the park from full size performances to chamber music groups. Search your area for more information on what and when.

National Holiday Celebrations-choose your country, or travel to another and celebrate with them their summer holiday. It will be fun and a great learning experience for the kids.

Fallingwater-We absolutely love this place! This is Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture in the deep woods of southwestern PA, and it is a joy to experience! The tour is great, the food in incredible for a café, and the atmosphere in the magical forest is something you will never forget. June is an ideal time to visit because the endangered Mountain Laurel (a lot of people think it’s a rhodo shrub) is in full bloom in the forest during this month. The smell is intoxicatingly beautiful, and adds to the experience along Big Bear while touring this astonishing structure. This year, we will visit during July probably while camping and kayaking. Also see Kentuck Knob (reservations made through the Fallingwater website, or call (724) 329-1901

www.kentuckknob.com
www.fallingwater.org

ROBOWORLD has opened at the Carnegie Science Center! Robots of the generations, and some you only thought weren't real. Gotta go! Finish an evening with a lazer show.

www.carnegiesciencecenter.org


June 26-28, 2009 Celtic Fling and Highland Games-Mount Hope Estate and Winery, Manheim, PA.

www.parenfaire.com/

JULY

Kennywood Park-one of the great old-fashioned American amusement parks (you know a Pittsburgh named Ferris invented the Ferris wheel?), this park along the Monongahela River is a true treat for the entire family. It is one of the oldest amusement parks in the country and a great portion of the park is a registered historic site. The merry-go-round is gorgeous, with figures and coach chairs dating from its installation in 1912. Some pieces go back to the opening of the park in 1895. The calliope still plays its period songs, as well as some modern tunes, you can paddle boat around the lagoon, or sky-chair yourself across its waters. The Penny Arcade still has some penny features and the Thunderbolt is still atop coaster enthusiasts’ lists of the best. If spinning at high rates of speed are not your style, the train gives you a great view of the park and the river, the games are plentiful, and the food is…well, outstanding! Vegetarians, there is plenty for you, as well as you long established carnivores! If you saw the film, Adventureland this year in theaters, you saw Kennywood! It was amazing how they made it look so 1980’s again.

If you are in the Pittsburgh area, you can also visit Kennywood’s sister water park, Sandcastle in Homestead. Great fun!

If you would like to visit the quiet, cooler and exquisite Laurel Highlands (about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh), then visiting Idlewild would be ideal. Another property in the Kennywood family, it boasts Storybook Forest for young children, a host of rides for everyone, and even has its own waterpark, H20 Zone! It really is two parks in one, and I always need two days to do it right (note: the BBQ rib place right by the train depot with the grilled corn-on-the-cob and the funnel cake and apple pie…oh, sorry! That place rocks!) Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood is located here, it is always a hugely popular attraction. The kids will sleep for a day to work this one off.

JOHNSTOWN FILM AND WINE FESTIVAL JULY 8-11, 2009

So You Wanna Make Pictures?" panel scheduled for July 11
In 2009, the Johnstown Film & Wine Festival is pleased to add "So You Wanna Make Pictures?", a panel discussion for new and aspiring filmmakers. The panel and showing of the panelists' films will take place during the day on Saturday, July 11; see http://www.jaha.org/FilmFestival/panel2009.html for complete details and schedule.

So You Wanna Make Pictures?
Join four area filmmakers for a conversation on filmmaking for fun (and maybe profit).

If you're interested in making films and would like some advice, or if you just love hearing filmmakers talk about making movies, you're invited to join four area filmmakers for a panel discussion on making films and documentaries. Join Andy McAllister, Bob Rutkowski, Kev Stock, and Will Zavala as they offer advice on how you can get your start as a filmmaker -- or take the next step in developing your skills. Come prepared to ask questions, and to listen as they offer up personal insight into their processes, motivation, and the technical tricks they've learned over the years- tricks that they wish they would have known on their first shoot!

The Machine - Pink Floyd Tribute
Location: Heinz Hall
Friday, July 10, 2009 at 8:00 PM

Daniel Meyer, Conductor
Live with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performing Dark Side of the Moon, THE MACHINE, America’s top Pink Floyd show, has forged a 20 year reputation of excellence, extending the legacy of Pink Floyd, while creating another legacy all their own. Over the years, The Machine has touched the hearts and souls of many, selling out large clubs and theatres across North and Central America, Europe and Asia. They have also appeared at renowned music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Riverbend, and Germany’s Rock of Ages.

The Machine duplicates the sound and hits of Pink Floyd with chilling accuracy.
- Matt Diehl, Rolling Stone Magazine

In western Canada? Check out the Surrey Fusion Festival, July 18-19, 2009

Multicultural, food fun, and music on multiple stages! The festival is in Holland Park, Surrey BC. Sunday night concludes with some awesome brothers, Pavlo and Oscar Lopez with buddy Rik Emmett at 9pm on the Coast Capital Savings Main Stage.

YES-
July 21, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Station Square Amphitheatre
We will be there!

July 22, 2009

Concert House Party-Ceilidh/Ceol: Acoustic Guitarists

An extraordinary private event will be held in Pittsburgh in the Shadyside area of the city for some members of The Sierra Club, and the Carnegie Science Center, guitar organizations, sponsors, and some select guitar students. Obviously, we wish it could be larger, but the intimacy of the event also adds to how wonderful it is to hear intoxicating music in a small forum. This is a preview event for a future larger fundraising effort.
There will be gorgeous music, fantastic organic food and wine, along with some sharing of good vibes and networking.

Three extraordinary artists are lending their guitar talents to the event: Ken Bonfield, Peter Janson, and Tim Farrell. In addition yours truly will get to warm up her pipes a little on some of her own tunes! These guys are wonderful and you have to experience this music for yourself to really get how powerful they are together, live. It is by invitation only…

If you are a guitarist (acoustic event) who would be willing to lend your talent to not only this evening event, but the future fundraiser (taking place somewhere between August 25 and Sept. 2), contact us here at Falcon and Dove.

Although we cannot provide transportation to this event if you are invited, we will provide lodging if you need it. Bring your CD's.

If you are a listener just interested in being there that evening, we can invite about 5 outside guests. There is no charge for this event, just a genuine interest in Jazz, Folk, Rock, Celtic, or Blues. Help these guys out by purchasing a CD while you are there. It will be greatly appreciated.

July 30-August 2, 2009: Summer Rhythm Renewal

Jim Donovan is doing an extra special event this summer at St. Francis University involving percussion, yoga, and self-exploration. Summer Rhythm Renewal will be held at the school in Loretto, PA. You can be a beginner or advanced. Drums are provided. It is extremely affordable and for those who need it, this course counts towards ACT 48 Continuing Education Credits. It is just $299 for the 4 day workshop. Accommodations at St. Francis and meal plans can be provided for an additional fee. Those of you who know me know Jim and I go way back, and I love the annual drum cruise on the river he does in conjunction with Afrika Yetu. The course will include Congolese drum and dance, Nia Dance, a Djun Djun Workshop, Didgeridoo, Native American flute, Mandala drawing, and a whole lot more.
www.rhythmrenewal.com
www.JimDonovanDrums.com
Please note that the event is designed for adults ages 18 and older

AUGUST

Reunions- my class reunion will be held in the summer rather than winter this year (high school). I won’t say how many years it has been, but if you look at my profile, you already know…hehe.

Renaissance Faire and Festivals-They all begin in August, and they are everywhere, as well as Pennsic War at Cooper’s Lake off I-79 in PA for those who are members of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism).

Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire- www.parenfaire.com/
Weekends including Labor Day, beginning August 8-Oct. 25, 2009

Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival: www.pgh-renfest.com
Opens the Weekend of August 29-30 and runs through October 3-4 Weekends only (includes Labor Day Monday, of course)
There are themed weekends, including children’s, romance, Shakespeare, etc. Free parking as always and real easy to get to just off I-70 near New Stanton: 10:30 am-6:30pm
Very affordable family fun, lots of crafts, games, rides, even (spun by young, svelte men in much better shape than I remember men being when I was that age)

Concerts There are tons of major tours this summer. We are going to a couple of excellent shows and August seems to be the month for most groups that we will see.

BROTHER to return to Halifax, Nova Scotia:

Halifax Busker Fest - August 6 to 16 - will see the return of BROTHER this summer. Final dates and set times to be announced soon.



Mid-Summer Scottish/Irish Music and PA Wine Festival
August 22-23, 2009
Lancaster Host Expo Center
2300 Lincoln Hwy. East
Lancaster, PA 17602

Featuring 7 Nations and BROTHER! All day Saturday, and until 5pm Sunday

$15 for adults, kids under 12 free! Wine tasting $10 glass

Moody Blues at Radio City August 20
Yes, Falcon likes that 60-s and 70’s stuff, and it has been awhile, so why not see the boys in a great forum: Radio City Music Hall. They are on tour all summer, check them out when they play your area.

September

Because most of September is still actually summer, don’t forget to have some fun, not just Labor Day weekend, but during the month. Most of the festivals are still running, and the crowds will be smaller, so take some time out. It’s a great time to go to the zoo, aviary, Phipps, etc.
Google the following:
Pittsburgh Zoo

The National Aviary

Phipps Conservatory

Heinz History Center

Carnegie Museum

Andy Warhol Museum

G-20: September 24-25, 2009 Pittsburgh /David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Those of you interested in the G-20, BOOK NOW!!! Every hotel for miles will be filled. Here’s the thing: Try to stay at a hotel that has transportation to the Convention Center, or has access to nearby transportation that takes a direct route. DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE AND PARK DURING THIS EVENT! If you need to be close to the city, pick a hotel or bed and breakfast that has free parking close to the convention center. Make your inquiries now, don’t wait.

www.visitpittsburgh.com
Here’s some other suggestions I thinks may help. If you really don’t like traffic, but must drive from where you are to this event, try staying at a small boutique hotel or B&B outside of Pittsburgh…I mean, significantly outside of Pgh.

UPDATED June 18: Because of their available airstrip, Nemacolin Woodlands is FULL! There is no availability at any of the hotels, cabins, suites, etc. We did mention that things would move quickly.

For example, stay in Cranberry Township at one of the many hotels there. Stay in the Laurel Highlands (Donegal, Somerset, Johnstown area). Yes, these are an hour out, but all highway driving. From there, you can park at one of the many Port Authority Transit Park and Ride lots (PAT), and take the bus directly into downtown Pittsburgh to the Convention Center.They are reasonably priced:
www.portauthority.org Latrobe is also close by for those who want to fly.

Those hotels in Latrobe, Ligonier, Donegal, Somerset, etc. on less than 30 minutes from the airport. Johnstown is also another great place to get a more reasonably priced hotel with an airport nearby. Don't forget the magnificent Beadford Springs Resort and Spa as well. Beautiful, quiet, but with all the amenities one would expect in the city. The Laurel Highlands make a great alternative.

This will give you some peace in the evenings after events, and some reasonable places to eat inexpensively.


Well, there is a huge summer schedule of events to get your heart beating a little faster and thinking about all the fun there is to have. Remember, if everything here seems unaffordable, get a book from your local library and take a trip to knowledge and fascination. Those trips are just as important as the ones that wear out your shoes.

Keep those concert updates/new releases coming! We will post them!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Half-Blood Prince in IMAX Delayed Two Weeks

Hello World Family,
Falcon here will a little information on the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince release for IMAX theatres. This was provided through our cousins at HPana:

The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie scheduled for release in conventional theaters on July 15 won't be shown in IMAX theaters until July 29, a full two weeks after it's general release date.

News came to HPANA yesterday and it was confirmed today by Richard Gelfond, IMAX chief executive, that at least one IMAX theater in New York and another in Los Angeles are scheduled to play the movie starting on July 14, while dates for international theaters are still being negotiated.

Thanks to Jeff from TVWatchOnline for the original tip.

Well, those glasses work fine in conventional theatres, too.
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Urban Birds Tweet Differently than Rural Cousins

Hello World Family,
Falcon, here with an interesting study.
I got a line on the story this morning from our Brother Howard in Iowa. This research done in Wales might give some indication of how the urban environment has unintentionally caused birds to create different languages for themselves. Further, their rural counterparts may not understand why.

Check it out:


Birds in cities 'singing louder'

Scientists from Aberystwyth University have discovered that some urban birds sing at a different pitch to their rural cousins
Great tits are tweaking their tweets to be heard in noisy urban areas, but for their country cousins it is like they are speaking a different language.
Scientists at Aberystwyth University found male great tits in 20 UK towns and cities sang at a higher pitch to be heard above the man-made noise.
Rural birds were confused by urban bird song while city birds "didn't understand the lower rural pitch".
The male great tit sings to defend his territory and attract a mate.
Research student Emily Mockford visited 20 towns and cities in the UK to capture the bird song.
The singing was played back to rural male tits during the breeding season when they are at their most aggressive, but there was a "slower and weaker" response than normal from the countryside birds.
Scientists also recorded countryside great tits and found they sang at a lower pitch and, in turn, city birds found the rural droll difficult to understand, the study found.
Project leader Dr Rupert Marshall explained how the city bird song was captured.
He said: "We just stood there and pointed a microphone at them (the great tits).
"We went for medium-sized areas which were close to rural locations so that's why we avoided London.
"We played the urban bird song on a speaker to rural males during the breeding season. Usually this would provoke a strong reaction - the tits get quite worked up about it and would normally attack the speaker.
"But there was a slower and weaker response from the rural males.
"They were less aggressive and not quite sure what to make of it. It was like the city birds were speaking a different language.
"Likewise, we found city birds didn't understand the lower rural pitch."
Project scientists said the urban great tit reacted to man-made noise by raising the pitch of its songs, but in quieter rural locations a few miles away the pitch was found to be lower.
PhD student Ms Mockford said: "The next step is to find out what the females make of these different songs - will they want to mate with a guy who sings too high or too low?"

SPECIAL SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT FROM KEN BONFIELD

Hello World Family,
Falcon, here with some special news for those of you in the New England area of the U.S. We just received this announcement from our Brother, Ken Bonfield, guitarist:

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let you know about a last minute show Peter Janson and I will be playing this Friday in Sunapee, NH. This is a great little coffee house series run by amazing volunteers; among them my pal, Alan Carruth Luthier. This will give me an opportunity to visit my newest guitar under construction from Al; a high string guitar. I'll take some photos and circulate those next week.

I'll be performing material from the album as well as a couple of new tunes, and a couple of very old tunes that have found their way back to my guitars.

Peter will be debuting several new tunes he'll be recording for his new album Compass Rose due out this August. I've heard a handful of his new tunes and they're stunning; I can't wait to hear the rest.

This summer will find me in Montreal, Pennsylvania, and California. Check the schedule to see if I'll be in a town near you

Peace, kb.

So...here are the particulars:

Who: Peter Janson, Ken Bonfield, AOG
When: Fri Jun 05 2009 @ 07:00 PM
Where: Sunapee Community Coffeehouse, Sunapee, NH

Details: Sunapee Community Coffeehouse will present Artistry of the Guitar at the Sunapee Methodist Church in Sunapee NH featuring Ken Bonfield and Peter Janson at 7pm. Artistry of the Guitar is a feast not only for guitar lovers, but for anyone with a passion for acoustic music. Individually, Ken and Peter have performed in the finest acoustic venues around the world, and their music has been heard by millions on radio, TV, and Satellite radio. We are excited to bring the two together for this special concert. If you enjoy folk, blues, jazz, Celtic or world music with a contemporary twist you're in for a real treat! Expect to be dazzled by their fretwork, charmed by their wit, and moved by their music! This is a free concert with a pass the hat suggested donation of $15.

This should be a grand show in a small venue! Wish we could be there!
NOTE: You may see a Ken Bonfield concert in Pittsburgh this summer...oops! Did I say too much? Watch the July calendar for a very, very special concert announcement!

Peace, World Family!
Falcon and Dove

Memorial Day Weekend: Honoring Ancestors, Family, Friends, Fun!

Hey World Family,
Falcon here, wishing you all a great weekend, and a happy Memorial Day weekend to our U.S. family, and Victoria Day to our Canadian Brothers and Sisters!

There are plenty of things to do this weekend, outdoors and in: movies (Terminator: Salvation opens and is a magnificently terrifying trip), get out to many festivals (eat all those foods you never allow yourself to have the rest of the year, in moderation), get out to the park, pool, or just clean up the yard (like Falcon), and remember what Memorial Day is for: honoring our war dead, and those who served who have passed on. Falcon and Dove honor all ancestors during this period, and we hope you will have some reflective time to do the same.

One important point about this weekend is history. Our holidays frequently honor our history, yet many don’t really know that much about why we honor what we celebrate. Keeping up the places that help remind us of our wonderful, tragic, mournful, and triumphant history is something that goes overlooked frequently. Falcon and Dove love history, so we are going to do our part to support organizations that support education us all on the history that has brought us to where we are...and reminds us to remember the lessons of that past lest we repeat the most challenging lessons our that past due to inattention to those lessons.

Falcon visited the Derry Area Historical Society this week, for a wonderful presentation and screening of Andy McAllister’s important film, Out of the Ground”, which we have told you is an extremely moving and important film. Again, it will be shown as part of the Film and Wine Festival in Johnstown, PA on July 11, and we hope you can come out and see it, meet the director, and have some serious fun!

DAHS is in a wonderful cabin in Derry, PA of course. It is a wonderful trip back into history, and is in great hands with John Matviya. He is warm and thoroughly informed about the history of the region. Get out this summer, visit Pennsylvania and make sure you stop there and say hello. The region is so stunningly beautiful (this is the shire, after all), you may never want to leave. Can get here, but still would like to help out, here is a way to help. Falcon got this fine invitation from John:

357 Pittsburgh Street
P. O. Box 64
New Derry, PA 15671
724 – 694 – 8808
www.derryhistory.org

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A DAHS INNKEEPER
This is the fourth year that our historical society has been able to conduct its business and maintain the historic Fulton House without continual fundraising efforts due to the great success of our Innkeeper Patron program. The “Innkeepers” are a generous group of people and businesses who have each donated $175.00 to cover the monthly costs of running our society during the course of the year. Our 2009 Innkeepers, listed on the back, agreed last year to fund our general operating expenses in 2009 allowing our general membership dues and other donations to go directly into outreach and educational activities in our community. Because of their generosity, the DAHS Board of Directors does not have to waste time worrying about how to pay the utility bills each month!

Our historical society continues to be very active and involved in numerous exciting initiatives. This year we have expanded to the corners of the Derry Area with the relocation of our Family and Community Research Center to the New Alexandria Public Library. The relocation allows us to be open and available to our members and visitors 5 days a week, every week, while freeing up the Fulton House to provide more historical exhibits throughout the warmer season. A separate fund drive, when completed, will fulfill our dream to reconstruct the Fulton House’s fireplace, encouraging better use of that facility in the cooler months.

Without our 2009 Innkeepers none of what we have accomplished could have been undertaken. We sincerely thank them and appreciate their interest in our society’s mission. It is now time to sign up to become one of the 2010 Innkeepers. If you would like to help by being a 2010 Innkeeper, please send your tax-deductable contribution of $175 by June 1st to the address below. If you have questions, please contact me, John Matviya, via email at jjmatv@comcast.net. A fantastic Innkeepers’ Dinner awaits you! Thank you!!
357Pittsburgh St.
P. O. Box 64
New Derry, PA 15671

General meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00p.
www.derryhistory.org


NEW MUSIC NEWS

Soihadto

Has had a fierce week! They have signed with Grape Juice Records, and are recording right now with J. Robbins! There will be a tour, beginning in June! Stay tuned. There are some amazing new pics on their My Space page! Check it out!
www.myspace.com/soihadto

Queensryche

They did an amazing Internet live concert performance for two hours and are now immersed in a major tour. Check out their My Space for some additional information:
www.myspace.com/queensryche

BROTHER

On May 28th, BROTHER will return to the Waterfest Concert Series at the
Riverside Park in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It's been a couple of years since the fellas have played in Oshkosh and the guys say they are looking forward to it.

Keep in touch by visiting the band at BROTHERmusic.com, on myspace,
Twitter, and the BROTHER blog.
BROTHER
http://www.brothermusic.com/


Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye, Alan White

TODAY-release of CIRCA : Overflow! These are 7 previously unreleased songs that did not appear on either the debut or on Circa: HQ CD. It is on iTunes now! Search ‘circa overflow’. Sweet!!! BTW, CIRCA :LIVE DVD is also available on iTunes. They do a killer version of the Yes anthem, “The More We Live”.

Rik Emmett

Has been a busy guy: new album coming out with co-troub Dave Dunlop, Push and Pull, available beginning May 26 in CD form (Tuesday), but can be preordered now through Maple Music (www.maplemusic.com), socially networking for new peeps ‘cause he is now on Facebook and Twitter, in addition to the My Space page and his website, www.rikemmett.com. There’s a new contest for members and friends. Details on the blog: www.myspace.com/rikemmettnetwork

Push and Pull harkens like their debut project of Strung-Out Troubadours, and has a similar mix of instrumental and vocalized pieces. One tune, “A Deeper Kind of Blue” appears both as a dueling guitar instrumental and as a p.s. version with Rik’s emotional tenor conclusion. Most of this project is fun stuff, with extremely impressive pieces like “52 Pick Up” and “Red Hot” burning up the axes like only Emmett can. Dave gets a more balanced presentation and the load seems more evenly split on this project, including his surprising lead vocals on “Only Time Will Tell” (original, not an Asia cover; I only mention this because three people have already asked me that question). “Way, Way Kooler (a nod to Way Cool from the late 1990’s Swing Shift) actually is, and “Declaration” seems to be an anthem-like affirmation of daily renewal. “Miracle of Love” is a nice piece that would make a good mainstream rock single, although Falcon has to admit that the version done with Orchard Studios live from Brampton on the Internet broadcast with just Rik and Dave is more favored that the retro background vocals on the studio recording. The first single from this project, “Why, Baby” had been out since December, and it is now joined by these and one more masterpiece, “And The River Still Runs” which thematically has its origins in the same vein as “Dos Arroyos” from the debut Troubs (“Two Streams”, although this piece flows like water or consciousness, depending on your mood) which also brought about the construction of “State of Grace”, from the same project- which was one of the most elegantly constructed songs Emmett has written in his solo career. Overall, Push and Pull should be added to your collection.

RAISE THE CURE

I received this message from our Sister Julie, the President and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network:

You’re making a difference.

Through your continued support, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is making progress on several fronts. One of the areas where we have had the most impact is heightening awareness among elected officials about the urgent need to do more about fighting pancreatic cancer. Due to our advocacy efforts, Congress is now considering the first-ever substantive bill regarding the disease: The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act, H.R. 745. This landmark legislation will dedicate more federal funding towards research and finding a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Although we are moving forward, much remains to be accomplished. If you have not already done so, click on this RAISE THE CURE campaign link and make a donation to become a part of finding a cure for pancreatic cancer.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION GROWS THE RESEARCH THAT GROWS CURES.
Your contribution to RAISE THE CURE will be put to work on two fronts. You’ll be directly funding more private research to ensure the development of early detection diagnostics, improved therapies, more clinical trials, finding key biomarkers and expanding the scientific understanding of pancreatic cancer. You’ll also help us ensure that Congress passes The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act, H.R. 745. Once enacted and fully funded it will provide a greater focus on this disease and will provide the National Cancer Institute with the tools it needs to develop the diagnostic methods and treatments that are currently lacking for pancreatic cancer patients.

Jai Pausch, the wife of the late Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch, PhD, whose fight against pancreatic cancer inspired millions through his book, The Last Lecture, remains committed to our mission. "Through research, patient support and advocacy, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and all of its supporters are making a real difference in the lives of pancreatic cancer patients and their families,” she said. “Together, we can raise the cure and make every day matter in the fight against pancreatic cancer."

Please join Jai and support the effort to find a cure. Your generous donation will provide real hope for pancreatic cancer patients and keep progress moving forward in the fight to find a cure.
Best regards,
Jason Kuhn, Board Chair
Julie Fleshman, JD MBA, President and CEO

https://netcommunity.pancan.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=537

To donate by phone, please call Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at 877-272-6226

Falcon has to run, it is time to put her talons into the dirt for some serious gardening this weekend (yes, Falcon and Dove prefer our own organic fruits and veggies when we have them). Stay strong, World Family; have a great weekend!

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Another Slumdog Millionaire Child Actor Homeless

Hello World Family,
Falcon here with a story that just boggles her mind. Two young stars of the OSCAR award winning Best Picture. “Slumdog Millionaire” Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and their families are homeless after police evicted them and tore down their homes right in front of them. Ali’s father was also beaten and hospitalized. These children came from the slums of Mumbai, and have been returned to those conditions, and now have no place to live.

There is a trust fund for the young actors and other children in the slums called Jai Ho, but it is for homes and education in their adulthood, not for living expenses right now. They are in school for the first time in their lives, but without a place to live, it seems a bit ridiculous that something cannot be done about their circumstances.

Okay…that was my really nice presentation of the facts: Here’s how I really feel: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Why in the hell can’t someone do something to improve the overall conditions for these families? These children are in an Oscar winning film that has made in excess of $300 million, and NO ONE can help these families?! COME ON!

It makes no sense to me that in the midst of all that success and affluence, people can live in Mumbai and simply ignore the abject poverty around them. It is equally grotesque that those who are making millions in part because of the artistic contribution of these young people cannot step up and help their families and bring them into a tolerable human condition.

I know personally of cases (too many to mention) where individuals and/or groups have made lot of money at the expense of/or from direct intellectual property of contributions made by people who are completely uncompensated and frankly, I don’t know how they sleep at night. Probably, they don’t sleep well. I am sure that there is some human metaphysical malfunction that allows them to reason through their indifference that it is somehow not their responsibility or that they are actually entitled to their prosperity, while others are simply doomed to their misfortune. Again, sleeping at night must be difficult, if they still have enough connection to human compassion to realize their arrogance. Here’s the facts: those that feel most separated and entitled to their feigned prosperity are the most responsible. Your deeds are built on the backs of those who are exploited in your presence, or as a result of your inaction. If you have prospered while someone you know has faltered and you used their energy to garner your spoils, you are on the pathway of despicable and reprehensible contribution to those less fortunate.

Rectification can be somewhat achieved by the following actions: do what you can as a person who has more than others to improve the condition of others in whatever way you can. Those sitting in the high-rise towers looking down on the slums of Mumbai must have a higher tolerance for pain than I do; I couldn’t look down on that situation and do nothing. So do something. Help those in your community to empower themselves more profoundly. Take a meal to an elder in the community; donate to the food bank, volunteer at a shelter, regularly. Work in the community to improve conditions for everyone. I know, we are all busy, but anytime that you can spend will be more rewarding to your soul than you realize, and it will make someone else’s life better, sometimes in ways you can’t foresee.

Second, pay it back and forward. If you know where the contributions to your quality of life come from, make sure to let people know that they are appreciated every day. Be kind to service workers, and those who serve you, usually without thanks. Give an extra tip to a maid, waiter, service-worker at the holidays who may just be planning simply to get by, rather a lavish celebration of a given day. Give it where you owe it. Pay it forward where it can do an expanded good. Pay it both ways, because that’s how you got where you are.

It would be easy to make whole cultures responsible, and that blanket doesn’t put individuals in the position of becoming activists to change intolerable conditions within a system that is clearly depraved. There is no excuse for lack of courage when so many are suffering. There are so many atrocities around the world every day; this is a microcosm.

These children got a taste of life away from that poverty, and did a job that has earned them the opportunity to be out of it, along with their families. These young people need to be fairly compensated the way a union actor would have been and give them a quality of life that anyone would be proud of today for the same amount of work.

I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to live where I live, and do what I do. I am committed to spending time doing more for those who cannot, teaching those to fish so that they can be fishermen, as it were. I hope that we all do that in our lives. This example is making me more aware of how frequently (or infrequently) I participate in paying it back and forward.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove